F. GEOGRAPHY. 135 



companied by Dr. Hayden as geologist, aimed to reach the lo- 

 cality referred to, but was prevented by deep snows and oth- 

 er impediments. We now learn from a Montano journal that 

 a party of bold explorers from Helena, fourteen in number, un- 

 der the lead of General H. DAVashburne, have at last solved 

 the interesting problem, having visited the country, and re- 

 turned, after an absence of six weeks, with a report of their 

 discoveries. They left on the 1 7th of August, and, proceeding 

 to Fort Ellis, were there joined by an escort of five soldiers. 

 Leaving this fort on the 22d of the month, they continued 

 their route through Bozeman's Pass, and after a short time 

 reached the fall of the Yellowstone. Up this stream they 

 advanced for several days, until they arrived at the Great 

 Fall on Cascade Creek. This was found to be upward of 

 350 feet in height, and of great magnificence, its swift waters 

 flowing through a canon in some places 2000 feet in depth. 



Still farther up the river they came to a region abounding 

 in hot sulphur and mud springs, the heated vapors steaming 

 forth perpetually through the openings in the soil. 



Leaving the falls, and proceeding up the river, they met 

 with another remarkable series of springs and mud volcanoes. 

 On one hill they found a large spring, filled with boiling wa- 

 ter, gushing up in a basin formed of pure, solid brimstone. 

 Around this were other springs of different characters, while 

 sulphur occurred in inexhaustible abundance. A series of 

 springs was seen in which the mud was constantly bubbling 

 up in a kind of thick mush, one of them forming a volcano, 

 from which the mud was ejected to a great height. 



The most remarkable discovery of the party, however, was 

 that of a valley abounding in geysers of enormous dimen- 

 sions, the largest throwing a solid column of water from 150 

 to 250 feet in height. There were a dozen of large size, while 

 the smaller ones were almost innumerable. As usual in these 

 hot springs, the borders were constituted by a hardened de- 

 posit from the water of a silicious character and of great 

 beauty, looking as if carved out by the art of the sculptor. 



In the course of the expedition, a lake of steaming hot wa- 

 ter was found 450 yards in diameter, resting in a basin which 

 had been built up by its own overflow to a height of 50 feet. 

 The ultimate destination of the party namely, the Yellow- 

 stone Lake was ascertained to be a boclv of water about 22 



